


all wrapped up in wrong

by sopaloma



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, F/M, Season Finale Speculation, part character exploration, part road trip fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-08
Updated: 2018-05-08
Packaged: 2019-05-03 15:52:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14572389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sopaloma/pseuds/sopaloma
Summary: “Do you remember that day in the diner? You said we could be like Romeo and Juliet but we live happily ever after.” He steps closer, eyes trained on hers. “This is how we live happily ever after, Betts.”or: Betty and Jughead run away and FP and Alice set out to find them





	all wrapped up in wrong

**Author's Note:**

> title from TV on the Radio, "Ambulance"
> 
> i'm back with something new & different! this is 15k words of fp and alice’s history and vague speculation about what will happen to bughead in the finale. i know that falice isn’t everyone’s thing – and honestly, i don’t ship them either – but all of the snippets we get about the riverparent’s high school lives are just too damn intriguing. i had to write about them! (also young madchen and skeet were ridiculously beautiful)
> 
> this fic is also a kind of fix-it. there is a lot of stuff in canon that i don’t like and i find the parent/child relationships in the show troubling at best. this also follows my personal head-canon that gladys has some mental health issues and they were a factor in her leaving town. i guess this is my attempt at trying to make sense of canon and also tying things up in a way that i like. 
> 
> please just give this a shot. there’s lots of cute, supportive bughead in here too, if that makes it any better? and please excuse any typos!
> 
> also - listen to "ambulance"! i listened to it over and over while i was writing and i think it really fits the mood/tone. it's awesome

The climb is harder than the last time he did it – in a sherpa jacket instead of leather, the adrenaline pumping through his veins a result of infatuation and nerves, and not real, genuine fear.

It is late but her curtains are still open and he can see her jump when he knocks the window. Her face is red and wet with tears, her phone clutched tightly in one hand while the other covers her heart. She rushes over to the window, a sob escaping her when she pushes the window up.

“Jug! What are you–“

He pulls himself up and inside, and is kissing her before she can finish her questions, his hands framing her face.

“Are you okay?” she asks when they pull apart, her huge, glassy eyes flickering between his. “I’ve been trying to get hold of you. I thought– I didn’t know…”

“I’m okay,” he replies, stroking her cheeks with his thumbs. “Or at least, I’m as good as I can be.”

She reaches up to wrap her fingers around his wrists. “Why are you here, Juggie?”

“Run away with me.”

She blinks, stumbling back slightly in her shock. “What? What are you–“

“I have to get out of here, Betty. I have to get out of Riverdale."

Her brows knit together. “Jug, you can’t be serious…”

“Do you remember that day in the diner? You said we could be like Romeo and Juliet but we live happily ever after.” He steps closer, eyes trained on hers. “ _This_ is how we live happily ever after, Betts.”

There is a long minute of silence as she considers his words, her eyes focused on his as she turns them over in her head. He waits with baited breath, heart racing.

“Where will go?” she finally asks and Jughead’s body sags with relief.

She was with him. She always was.

“I have my dad’s truck outside and a bag with clothes and some money. The Serpents paid me for some jobs I did,” he explains. “It’s not much but it should be enough to get us to Atlanta.”

She frowns. “Atlanta?”

“My mom and Jellybean live there now, with my grandpa. It’ll take us two days to get there but it’s so far from here. It’ll be so good.”

She chews at the corner of her lip. “I need to pack a bag,” she says. “How much time do we have?”

“Fifteen, maybe twenty minutes. We can’t leave it any longer than that.”

They can’t give Penny any longer to find him.

She takes a deep breath and nods. “Okay.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

He kisses her again, firm and strong. He loves her; she’ll never know just how much.

“This is it, Betty. You and me, always.”

She smiles with watery eyes. “Always.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

_FP didn’t really like being on the Northside these days, and he especially didn’t like to be at Hiram Lodge’s house. The guy was insufferable, even worse than his pal Cooper, and if it wasn’t for the extensive selection of free booze and Fred begging him to come with him as moral support, he wouldn’t have been at this party._

_He’s not sure why Fred wants to be here anyway. Sure, he had Mary now and he was in love, but not too long back, Fred had also been in love with Hermione, and Hiram had stolen his girl. If he was in Fred’s shoes he’d beat his preppy ass. Or never talk to him ever again._

_He is nursing a beer on one of the Lodge’s expensive sofas when Gladys finds him. She is drunk, which is never good – the alcohol only exacerbates her sudden mood swings. She stumbles over to him and falls into his lap, giggling when he grunts under her weight._

_“Why are you being so moody?” she asks. “It’s our graduation. School is finally over!”_

_“I’m not being moody,” he mutters._

_“Yes, you are. You’ve been sat here all night, by yourself. Come and talk to me,” she pleads and reaches up to cup his face._

_He leans away from her touch and she quickly pulls her hand back, dejected._

_“Fine,” she snaps. “If you’re gonna be this way, don’t come looking for me at the end of the night when you want a screw.”_

_She pushes herself up and off his lap, walking on unstable legs to Penny Peabody, who is waiting with two drinks in her hands. FP sighs and scrubs his hand across his face. It was too hot in this room, with all of these people, and he was sick of all of the noise._

_Beer in hand, he pushes through the crowds of people throughout the house and steps out onto the Lodge’s large back deck. It is a warm night, humid from the summer heat, but FP welcomes the fresh air._

_He hears movement beside him and when he turns he finds Alice to his left, sat on the railings surrounding the deck. Their eyes meet and she smiles weakly._

_“Hey.”_

_He walks over to her. “Hey.”_

_“Too many people in there?”_

_He sighs. “Yeah.”_

_He leans his forearms on the railings and looks out across the Lodge’s expansive back yard._

_“Are you going to college?” he asks, to make conversation, to fill the silence. He doesn’t know what her plans are after graduation – they didn’t talk enough these days for him to find out._

_“Maybe,” she answers, noncommittal. “Hal is, in Syracuse. I’m moving there with him. He wants to be a journalist.”_

_“I didn’t ask if Hal was going,” he replies, irritated. He calms himself, tries to push the irritation away and keep things civil. “Well what about you? What do you want?”_

_A pause, and then, “I don’t know. I guess… I guess we’ll get married.”_

_“Alice,” he sighs. He looks over at her but her face is turned away, staring out into the night. “You’re… You’re so strong, and confident, and you can wrap anyone around your finger. You’re meant… You’re meant for better things than just being a housewife.”_

_“You don’t know me anymore,” she says quietly. “Maybe now that is the only thing I’m meant for.”_

_FP shakes his head. “Whatever,” he says. “You can tell me you’ve changed in a year but I don’t believe you. I think you’re still the same old spitfire.”_

_Minutes of silence pass before she speaks again, voice weak. “Maybe… Maybe I’ll study too. One day. I’ve always liked writing. I think I could make a good journalist.”_

_“Well you’re tenacious, I’ll give you that,” FP says, laughing softly._

_“What about you?” she asks, finally looking at him. “What are you going to do?”_

_“What do you think?” he asks, mouth ticked-up in a sardonic smile. “I’m gonna stay here, in that goddamn trailer park, working for the Serpents.”_

_“You don’t have to,” she replies softly. “You’re meant better things, too. You might not believe it, but you are.”_

_He doesn’t know what to say, doesn’t know how she’s come to that conclusion. He was built for a life in the gang, in this small town, just like his father and grandfather before him._

_“We could run away,” he suggests, the words leaving him before he has a chance to pull them back._

_She frowns. “What?”_

_He straightens up, eyes focused on her as the idea takes over._

_“Think about it,” he says. “We could get away from here – out of this town, away from all of these people. We could make a new start somewhere – California, or Seattle, or even fucking Florida. We could just go and make a whole new life.”_

_“FP,” Alice sighs. “Why are you saying all of this?”_

_“It could be just you and me, Ali,” he says, stepping closer, until he is standing between her knees. “We could make a real go of it. Create a new, better life for ourselves. No Serpents, no history, no secrets.”_

_“FP, stop,” she says, reaching out to cup his face with her hands. She holds him there, her eyes intent on his. “Don’t do this. Don’t start making crazy plans that you know won’t happen.”_

_“Why?” he asks, voice cracking on the word. “Because you won’t come with me? Or because you like the idea too much?”_

_She smiles at him and it is so beautiful, but so sad. “If you had asked me this two years ago, I would have said yes without hesitation. I wouldn’t have even thought about it – I would have just gone.”_

_“So what’s changed?” he asks quietly._

_“So much,” she whispers, eyes welling up with tears. “Stuff you can’t even understand. There is too much… It’ll never work. Me and you – it will never work.”_

_She drops her hands from his face and jumps down off the railing. FP blinks rapidly, trying to push back the sudden emotions he’s feeling._

_Alice straightens up her clothes, fixes her hair, and then steps closer to him._

_“FP,” she murmurs, and he looks up, meets her eyes._

_She strokes her fingers across the side on his face and leans forward to brush her lips against his. It is a soft kiss, familiar and sweet, but it is also filled with finality, and FP is sure he can feel his heart break in his chest._

_She pulls back and when she opens up her big, green eyes, a tear falls and slides down her cheek._

_“I’ll see you around,” she murmurs, and then she is gone. Out of his arms and out of his life._

 

 

 

 

 

 

Call it a gut instinct, but only seconds after finding Jughead’s bed empty and his truck gone, FP is running out to his bike and on his way to the Cooper house. He knows, in his heart, that he hasn’t just left for the day. His boy is _gone_.

Alice looks exhausted, weary, when she opens the door.

“Has he run away?” she asks and it’s then that he notices the tears in her eyes.

Alice has had a lot of shit to cry about during the last few weeks but this is the first time he’s seen it happen.

“Yeah. Is Betty gone, too?”

“Yep.”

“Shit.”

She sighs heavily. “Come in.”

FP eyes the open bottle of wine on the counter as he takes a seat at the kitchen island. He knew Alice was going through a lot but drinking wine at ten AM was not the answer.

“I’ve fucked everything up,” she says, pouring herself a new glass. “My whole life has fallen apart. I don’t blame Betty for leaving. If could run away, I would too.”

“I know things are shit right now, Ali, but you have to get it together,” he says, leaning forward in an attempt to make eye contact. She stares into her glass. “Alice,” he snaps, and her eyes fly up to his.

“Huh?”

“Pull yourself together,” he says firmly. “We need to find them. Jug is in a lot of trouble and Betty being involved will only make things worse.”

Her eyebrows pinch together. “What kind of trouble?”

“Serpent trouble,” he answers and she swallows. “Please, Ali,” he begs, voice softer. “We need to find them. We need to… We can’t let them run away from their problems. We can’t let them make our mistakes.”

There is a pause and then she nods. “Okay. Okay… Do you have any idea where they could be?”

“My best guess is Atlanta.”

“What’s in Atlanta?”

“Gladys.”

Alice nods, mouth downturned. “Right.”

“Look, I’m gonna go back to the trailer and grab some stuff. Pack what you need – the drive should only take two days – and I’ll come back and get you.” He meets her eye, sure and steady. “Okay?”

She inhales a shaky breath. “Okay.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

_Alice gasps when she spins around, her hand flying up to cover her racing heart._

_“Shit, FP. You scared me.” Her eyes narrow. “What do you want?”_

_His eyes are so dark when they are this close – she’d forgotten how dark they were._

_“To talk.”_

_She rolls her eyes, turns away from him again to slam her locker shut, and begins to walk down the hallway._

_“Don’t walk away from me, Ali!” he yells, coming up behind her._

_A few people turn to look at them, watching the scene unfold. Alice tries to cover her face with her hair but it’s no use – FP seems determined to make a scene._

_“You’ve been avoiding me for weeks but I’m not gonna let you do it any longer!”_

_She spins on her heel. “Will you_ shut up _?” she hisses._

_Her hand wraps around his wrist to pull him into the nearby empty classroom. He stumbles slightly, surprised, but follows her. He always follows her._

_“Alright,_ what _do you want?” she demands, arms folded across her chest as she leans back against the closed door._

_“I told you – to talk.”_

_“About what?” she snaps. “What do we possibly have to talk about?”_

_His brow furrows as he steps closer. “How about you disappearing for almost a year with no explanation?”_

_“I don’t_ owe _you an explanation!” she shouts, face flushing with anger._

_FP pauses, taken aback by her sudden outburst. He breathes out through his nose._

_“So that’s how this is gonna be?” he asks, voice low. “You’re not gonna tell me what happened to you? Why you fucking left like that? I was worried sick, Ali. I was going out of my mind thinking about all of the things that could have happened to you.”_

_“Well you shouldn’t have bothered,” she retorts, turning her face until her hair obscures it from his view. “I don’t want you around, FP. I thought you would have realized that by now.”_

_He scoffs. “Right. You don’t want me around. But you want that Cooper kid?” He laughs humorlessly. “You two have always been a fucking joke and now you expect me to believe you’re really into him, after you left for_ months _?”_

_“Believe whatever you want,” she says dismissively. “I don’t need to explain my relationship to you.”_

_He steps closer again, until he is so close that she can smell his cologne, feel the fabric of his plaid shirt brush against her. He reaches around to run his finger across the sleeve of her sweater._

_“You think wearing these sweaters and dyeing your hair is going to make things work between you? He’s a Northsider, Ali. And you’re just pretending.”_

_She purses her lips, turns her gaze away._

_“Why are you trying to impress_ Hal Cooper _?” he asks, mockingly. “That asshole doesn’t deserve you.”_

_She looks at him, her eyes cold and narrowed as they meet his._

_“And you do?” He is silent. “You don’t get it,” she says, softer. “He… He can give me a good life.”_

_“We could have had a great life,” he insists, taking her hands in his. She doesn’t pull away, even when he pulls her closer. “You and me.”_

_He leans forward, his nose pressing into the hair by her temple. She melts against him, softens against his body for just a second. But then she is pushing him away, shaking her head as her eyes fill with tears._

_“I-I can’t…” she murmurs, stepping back._

_“Hey, hey,” he whispers, reaching up to cup her face, and then he is kissing her. Soft, slow kisses, her lips stained with the salt of her tears. And she is kissing him back, a pressure he has longed for, that he feels in his bones._

_“No,” she mumbles against his lips, and shoves at his chest, pushing him away. “We can’t do this, FP. We can’t.”_

_He reaches out for her. “Ali, come on–“_

_“I’m sorry,” she whispers, eyes on the ground. “I’m really sorry. But I just… I can’t do this. Not anymore.”_

_He feels so defeated, so crushed, that he can’t find it in himself to chase after her, just watches the door close behind her._

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jughead groans in pleasure as Betty rubs at the back of his neck, working her fingers against the tight muscles.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to take over?” she asks, once again.

“Nah, it’s okay,” he replies. “You’re driving tomorrow. I can handle the last few hours.”

“Alright.”

It is quiet in the truck, the radio turned low and all of the windows closed. They are in Baltimore now, hours away from home but with a few hours still to go before they stop for the night.

“Are you going to call your mom at the motel?”

“Wasn’t planning on it.”

She frowns. “But won’t she need to know that we’re coming? Figure out where we’re going to sleep?” Jughead remains silent, his hands flexing around the steering wheel. “Jug?”

“I’m not calling her,” he says, tone short. “I know I probably should but… I’m not.”

“But why?” she asks softly, carefully.

His voice is quiet as he replies, “Because if I don’t tell her we’re coming, she can’t say no. When we get there and we’re standing on her doorstep, she can’t turn me away.”

His face is turned away from her, focused on the road, but she can see the pinch in his features. He rarely talks about his mother and the way her abandonment makes him feel, but she knows it’s hard for him. And hearing him talk about her this way hurt her heart. His mother should love the way she loves him – with every single part of her. She can only hope that he’s right, that she doesn’t turn them away. She doesn’t think he could handle the rejection.

She slides her fingers along his neck and up into his hair. She massages his head and smiles when he leans back into her touch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

_A whole school year passes, and then the summer, and FP tries to forget about Alice. He never truly succeeds but eventually he stops thinking about her in the quiet moments, stops picturing her above him when he’s lying in bed at night._

_Gladys is a beautiful distraction. Sweet and brunette, a total counterpart to the blonde wickedness he had once fallen for. She is infatuated with him – he can see it in her eyes when she looks up at him, brushes his hair back from his face with a soft quirk to her lips._

_They never discuss Alice. She and Gladys had been friends once but if she is concerned about where she has been for the past year, she doesn’t tell him. FP is fine with it. He doesn’t want to talk about her anyway._

_“So can I come over tonight?” she asks, as she leans up against the locker beside his._

_He flips the toothpick over in his mouth and shrugs. “Yeah, I guess. My dad shouldn’t be home.”_

_“Okay,” she smiles. “Well… It’ll be fun. I can’t wait to spend some time… alone with you.”_

_He smirks and leans down to kiss her but pauses when a small gasp leaves her mouth. She is looking over his shoulder, eyes wide, and he turns to see what she is looking at._

_His stomach swoops heavily and he thinks he might be sick._

_Alice is walking down the hallway, chin raised high against the stares and whispers surrounding her, her arms wrapped tightly around her textbooks. She looks defiant, strong, but also nothing like herself. Her hair is darker, shorter, the bleach replaced with what is probably her natural blonde, and her face is almost entirely bare of make-up. Her clothes are more modest, preppier – sweaters and skirts instead of leather and jeans – and FP doesn’t know who this girl is._

_She passes by, eyes sliding over to his and for just one second, their eyes connect, and FP thinks,_ yes, I do know her. I always have _._

_Her eyes dart away almost instantly and it is as if the moment never happened, like they are two strangers who don't know one another._

_“Did you know she was coming back?” Gladys asks him, but he is still staring at Alice’s now retreating form._

_“No,” he murmurs._

_He had been starting to think he’d never see her again._

 

 

 

 

 

 

FP’s eyes flicker over to her again, features pinched with worry. In all of the years he’s known Alice – all of the heartbreak and fights he’s shared with her – he’s never seen her so despondent, so goddamn miserable. He didn’t think anything could ever really break her but recent events had definitely come close.

“How are you holding up?”

She laughs, short and unfeeling, and stares out the window as she replies. “Well, my husband is a serial killer, my son is dead, and the cherry on top – my daughter has ran away from home. So, how do you think I’m doing?”

He sighs. “I swear, Ali, that goddamn town in cursed. Nothing good ever happens there.”

“I think you might be right,” she agrees quietly. “We should have left that place when we had the chance.”

FP chews on the inside of his cheek, holding back the things he wants to say. _I wanted to leave, I asked you to come, I told you we could make a life together somewhere else._

Those kinds of thoughts would get him nowhere. If they hadn’t stayed, if things hadn’t turned out the way they have, he wouldn’t have his kids. And he would suffer any heartbreak life threw at him if it meant he had them in his life.

“Do you think Gladys will be happy to see you?” she asks.

“Not likely,” he answers. “Finding Jug on her doorstep is going to be bad enough without me turning up as well.”

Alice frowns. “But he’s her son.”

“Gladys is… complicated,” he replies, vague. “There’s a lot of shit going on there that you don’t know about.”

His tone is final, offering no further explanation, and fortunately, Alice doesn’t press him.

Instead, she brings up an even more difficult subject.

“What are you going to do about Penny?” she asks. His jaw tightens but he doesn’t respond. “You know she won’t let this go until she gets her revenge,” Alice continues. “Until Jughead is–“

“Don’t!” he snaps. “Don’t say it.”

“But–“

“I’ll handle Penny.”

And he would, because he had to. You had to protect what you loved, _who_ you loved.

Once, years ago, FP had believed his love for Alice to be all-consuming, tearing him up from the inside because it hurt him so much. Now he knows that it didn’t compare to the love he has for his children, his son.

He would cover-up a murder for Alice but he would kill for Jughead.

“I hope you know what you’re doing, FP.”

He isn’t sure that he does, so he says nothing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

_He runs up to her trailer, banging on the door with his fist._

_“Ali! Ali, open up! I know you’re in there!”_

_Her mother opens the door, cigarette hanging from her fingers as she stands in the doorway. She looks tired, heavy bags beneath her eyes and long sigh escaping her as she regards him._

_“She doesn’t want to see you, kid. She doesn’t want to see anybody.”_

_Behind her, he sees Alice hiding in her bedroom, watching him from a distance._

_“I can see her!” He tries to push past her mother who holds firm. “Ali! Ali, come on. Just talk to me.”_

_Alice steps out from behind her mother, face pale and withdrawn, body swamped in an old, oversized Northside High sweater that he thinks must have belonged to her father._

_“It’s okay, mom,” she murmurs, stepping around her. When she meets his eye, her face is stoic, expressionless. “What do you want, FP?”_

_“Is it true?” he asks, and he can hear the sadness in his own voice. “Are you leaving?”_

_She closes her eyes. “FP–“_

_“Where are you going?!” he yells. “You can’t just fucking leave!”_

_Her face pinches with irritation as she grabs his arm and steps outside, pulling him down the steps and away from her trailer._

_“Will you shut up?” she hisses. “This is hard enough on my folks without you acting like an asshole.”_

_“Where are you going?” he demands. “Are they making you leave? Because you don’t have to go. We can figure something out–“_

_“They’re not making me do anything,” she says, cutting him off. “I just… I need to get away. I need to get out of this town for a little while.”_

_“Ali,” he murmurs and reaches up to cup her face between his hands, forcing her to look at him. “You can tell me, okay? You can tell me what’s going on.”_

_“I can’t,” she insists, voice breaking as she begins to cry._

_“Whatever it is, we can figure it out,” he tells her, desperate. “You just need to stay here. Stay with me.”_

_She shakes her head. “No, I can’t. I can’t do this.”_

_“I love you,” he says, fiercely, eyes locked on hers. “I do. I love you.”_

_A sob breaks out of her at his confession and she reaches up to pull his hands from her face._

_“You shouldn’t,” she says, resolute. “I’m sorry,” she says, voice softer. “I… I have to go.”_

_She pushes away from him, jogging back up the steps to the trailer and locking the door behind her. He stumbles back, defeated. She was going. She was really going to leave and there was nothing he could do to stop her._

_He scrubs the back of his sleeve across his face, roughly, wiping away the moisture on his cheeks, and with one last look at the trailer, walks away._

 

 

 

 

 

 

The motel isn’t great but it’s the best they could afford. The bathroom is clean and the bed is only slightly comfier than the one in the trailer, and there’s a diner next door where they grab dinner.

Later, when they are full-bellied and exhausted from a day of driving, they curl up on the motel bed, beneath the cheap sheets. Betty’s head rests on his chest, her hand sweeping along his side in a soothing motion. He feels tired from hours spent focusing and staring straight ahead, and the movement has his eyes fluttering.

“What are you going to do if Penny finds us?”

His eyes snap open, all comfort diminished.

“What?”

“If she follows us, finds us in Atlanta… What are you going to do?”

He sighs, drags his hand back through his hair. “Honestly, I don’t know. I haven’t even thought about that. I’m just focusing on getting to Atlanta and seeing my mom.”

“Okay,” she replies quietly. “That’s okay. But… when we get there, we need to come up with a plan. In case she does find us.”

“I know,” he murmurs, smoothing his hand along her back. “And we will. I just… I need to forget, just for a couple of days. Is that okay?”

“Yeah.”

They lie together in silence, Betty’s hand still sweeping across his ribcage, her head rising and falling with the movement of his chest.

She turns, presses a kiss over his heart. “I love you, Jug.”

His heart squeezes as he leans down to kiss her hair. “I love you, too.”

“I mean it,” she says, leaning up until she can see his face. “This whole situation terrifies me but I’m here because I love you, and I’m not letting you do this alone.”

“I know,” he murmurs, reaching up to sweep her hair behind her ear. “And I am so grateful. I seriously… I don’t know what I ever did to deserve you.”

She smiles softly. “It goes both ways, Jug. You’ve had so much going on in your life and you still snuck into my room and held me all night, after I find out about my… After my dad…”

“Hey,” he whispers, cupping her jaw in his hand. He smoothes his thumb across her cheek. “You don’t have to talk about this if you don’t want to. And I know…” He takes a deep breath. “I know I can’t make any of this better but you have to know that you have me. You always will.” His mouth ticks up at the corner. “Even when I’m running for my life.”

She groans, a little laugh escaping her. “It’s not funny, Jug. Don’t joke about that.”

“I’m sorry,” he says, voice still tinged with laughter. “But I mean it,” he says, serious now. “You do.”

Her full lips spread into a sweet, genuine smile. “I know.”

She leans forward to kiss him, her lips brushing against his before she deepens the kiss, her tongue parting his lips and taking his breath away. They kiss for a while, hands sliding across clothes and then skin, until they are both bare to one another, in more ways than one.

“God, I love you,” he whispers into hair as he pushes inside of her, and this – this feeling that is so new, so _close_ – will always be incredible to him. He has never been this close to another person and he never wants to experience this with anyone else.

They make love in the dark, hushed voices and panting breaths, trying not to wake the other guests. After, they fall asleep in each other’s arms, all of their troubles far from their mind, if only for the night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

FP pockets his phone and exhales heavily. He was doing what was necessary, what needed to be done to help his boy, but that didn’t make it any easier.

“Are you alright?” Alice asks as she leaves the reception of the motel, her brow furrowed in concern.

“Yeah,” he breathes out. “I’m fine.”

She holds up two sets of keys. “We’ve got a room each. Check-out is at eleven but we should be gone before then.” She tosses a key to him and he catches it. “Let’s try to get some sleep.”

He nods, his whole body slow and sluggish as he follows her. She leads him to their rooms, side-by-side on the ground floor of the motel. They slide their keys into the respective locks and open the doors. FP pauses before he steps inside and turns to her.

“Night, Ali.”

She smiles, eyes tired and heavy. “Goodnight, FP,” she murmurs back and enters her room, closing the door behind her.

 

 

 

 

 

 

_“Just drop it here and I’ll set everything up,” Fred instructs, pointing to a spot beside the speaker._

_FP does as he’s told, putting Fred’s guitar down, and then walking over to the drum kit. He places his sticks on the largest drum, waiting and ready._

_“How long do we have?”_

_Fred checks his watch. “One hour.”_

_FP nods and jogs out of the auditorium. He heads towards the bathroom to fix his hair and straighten his tie before the show. They’d never played in front of such a large audience before – almost the entire student body was at the dance tonight – and he didn’t want to look like a bum._

_He carries on down the hallway, passing the girl’s bathroom on his way, but pauses when he hears voices._

_“How could you think this is ever going to work?” one voice yells, and he knows it is Hal Cooper._

_“I don’t know!” snaps a second voice, and FP freezes. He knows that voice, too._

_“Alice, this is ridiculous,” Hal says, sounding tired. “You know this can’t happen.”_

_“Don’t you_ ever _tell me what to do,” she retorts, tone low but biting._

_There is a long moment of silence and FP holds his breath, not wanting to make any sound that would alert them to his presence._

_“You need to take care of this,” Hal says firmly, and turns to walk away, his dress shoes tapping against the linoleum floor._

_FP doesn’t move quickly enough, and is leaning back towards the men’s room when Hal steps out, face flushed with anger._

_“Oh,” he says, eyebrows rising. “Hey, man. Didn’t see you there.”_

_“Yeah, sorry,” FP mutters. He steps back, jerks his head towards the bathroom. “I’m just gonna…”_

_“Yeah,” Hal nods, hands buried in the pockets of his pants. “I’ll, uh, I’ll see you out there.”_

_“See ya.”_

_FP watches him walk away, his oversized suit hanging off of his broad shoulders. He shakes his head – he’d never understand these preppy, rich boys and their ill-fitting clothes. If he had their money, he’d buy himself some clothes that fit._

_Alice walks out then, face still blotchy but make-up clearly fixed, all dressed up in her Homecoming dress. She doesn’t see him and she gasps when FP reaches out to grab her hand._

_“What are you–“ Her eyes narrow as soon as she sees it’s him. “I thought I told you to leave me alone.”_

_He half-smiles. “When have I ever done what I’m told?”_

_She pulls her hand from his. “I’m really not in the mood, FP.”_

_He follows after her as she marches down the hall, tugging on her hand again until she stops and turns to him._

_“What do you want?” she demands._

_“To see if you’re okay,” he replies, voice soft. “I didn’t hear everything but… well, what I did hear didn’t sound good.”_

_“I’m fine,” she says, removing her hand once again. “God, don’t you have your own girl to worry about?” His face pales. “Yeah, I heard you and Gladys got back together. Congratulations, by the way.”_

_“Come on, Ali. Don’t be like that.”_

_“I’m not being like anything,” she retorts, irritated. “Just do me a favor and leave me alone.”_

_“Ali…” He reaches for her hand again._

_“I mean it,” she snaps. “Fuck off.”_

_His hand drops back to his side, his face falling. They’ve said a lot of shit over the years – yelled and screamed and called each other names – but she’s never, ever told him to fuck off._

_A deep frown has settled over his face when he returns backstage. He finds Fred where he left him, now wrapped around Mary who he has pinned up against a speaker. Manny Muggs walks by, last year’s Homecoming King, his arm slung around his girlfriend’s shoulders._

_“Did you hear? Alice Smith and Hal Cooper won King and Queen,” he says, a sneer to his tone. “I mean, him I get – he’s respectable. But she’s just so…”_

_“Trashy,” his girlfriend finishes._

_He nods. “Right. Trashy.”_

_FP’s hand automatically curls into a fist, ready to connect with Manny’s nose, but he stops himself from acting upon his impulses. It wasn’t his place to defend Alice’s honor. Maybe it never has been._

_He looks over at Fred and then to the large red curtain that separates them from the crowd of their classmates dancing in front of the stage. His stomach twists with what he tells himself are nerves._

_“Hey, Fred,” he calls and Fred pulls himself away from Mary to look at him. “I’ve gotta go home, man. I think I’m sick.”_

_Fred frowns. “What? But we need you up on stage, FP. We can’t play without our drummer!”_

_“Get Clayton to play,” FP says. “He’s better than me anyway.” He scrapes his hand back through his hair. “Look, man, I really don’t feel good. I’ve gotta go.”_

_He can hear Fred calling his name but he doesn’t look back. He needs to get the hell out of this school._

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Do you ever think about how crazy it is that our parents had a baby?” Betty muses. “That we share a sibling?”

Jughead scrunches up his nose. “Honestly, I try not to think about it. Ever. And I’ve kind of had other stuff on my mind lately.”

Betty rolls her eyes. “Obviously. But… you know, it’s weird.”

“ _So_ weird,” he agrees and they both laugh, amused but also horrified.

They grow quiet and Betty’s voice is soft when she asks, “What if they still love each other?”

He rolls his head against the headrest to look at her. She is focused on her driving but there is a furrow to her brow that shows her true concern.

“Well _we_ love each other,” he says, reaching out to take her hand in his. “And that’s not going to change because of them.”

Betty’s full lips curve into a smile and when she looks over at him Jughead thinks – not for the first time, or even the hundredth time – that he is so lucky to be loved by someone as beautiful as her.

_All snakes have a soft underbelly. She’s yours, right?_

Penny had said that to him once, her words laced with a threat that had made Jughead’s blood run cold. She had been right, of course. In some ways Betty was his weakness, although he would only ever see her as his strength. 

His thoughts wander, returning to their respective parents who had shared more than he ever imagined, and he wonders if the same had been true of his father. Had Alice been his softness, the thing that made him vulnerable?

Then, he thinks of his father’s willingness to help clean up the dealer’s body, the way Alice had gripped his hand at Pop’s and his whole face had softened, and it seems that some things never really change.

 

 

 

 

 

 

_It is the last week of summer when Alice decides to break his heart._

_“You’re going back to him?” he asks, voice weak with disbelief._

_“I’m sorry, FP,” is all she has to offer._

_He scoffs. “You’re_ sorry _? Are you fucking serious?” He steps closer, eyes blazing as his anger takes hold. “You’re gonna spend a whole summer kissing me, fucking me, acting like you_ love _me, and then run right back to him?”_

_She looks away, embarrassed. “I don’t know what you want me to say,” she murmurs._

_“I want you to not be a fucking coward!” he yells. “You know you don’t belong with him. You said it yourself.”_

_“And who do I belong with?” she shouts, own anger piqued. “You?” She spits the word, a nasty smile on her face. “That’s a fucking joke.”_

_He grits his teeth. “Don’t do that,” he warns her. “Don’t make out that what we have doesn’t mean something.”_

_“It doesn’t mean_ anything _!” she yells, stunning him._

_His voice drops lower as he asks, “Why are you doing this? Do you really care about his money, about being popular at school?”_

_She laughs, shakes her head. “You don’t get it, do you?” Tears shimmer in her eyes. “If I stay with you I’ll be stuck here forever, in this fucking trailer park. We’ll never get out, FP. And we’ll spend the rest of our lives being fucking miserable.”_

_“That’s not true,” he argues, feeling desperate. “We can leave,” he insists. “We can go somewhere else, start a new life.”_

_When she meets his eye, her gaze is cold, unfeeling. It is a look he has seen before, when she is about to destroy the self-esteem of another girl or cut a man down to size, but it is has never been directed his way._

_“Listen to me carefully,” she says slowly, deliberately. “I need to get out because I am_ better _than the Southside. I am better than_ you _. Do you understand?”_

_He licks his suddenly dry lips and says quietly, but firmly, “Get out.”_

_She doesn’t spare him another look as she grabs her jacket and walks out of the trailer, slamming the door so hard it swings back open._

 

 

 

 

 

 

The silence in the car is deafening and he wishes he could find something to say, but what could you say to a woman who has lost so much? He reaches over to the stereo and begins to flick through the channels, trying to find something he likes. Most of the stations are playing popular hits, songs he has never heard before and has no interest in, and FP moves past them swiftly before he finally reaches a station he likes.

A song begins to play, the opening guitar riff so familiar to him he can play it himself, had learnt it when he was sixteen.

“Do you remember this?” he asks Alice, eyes flickering between her and the road. “Fred and I used to love this song.”

“I remember,” she says, a little smile tugging at her lips. “You thought you were going to be the east coast’s answer to the Red Hot Chilli’s.”

“Hey! We could have been if Fred hadn’t decided to settle down and get married,” FP argues. “He broke up the band before we had time to make it big.”

“Whatever,” Alice laughs, and it’s the first real laugh he’s seen from her in weeks. “You keep telling yourself that.”

He begins to tap a rythmn on his steering wheel. “And I don’t ever wanna feel like I did that day!” he sings loudly. “Take me to the place I love, take me all the way.”

His eyes flicker over to Alice and he grins when he sees her watching him, amused.

“You’re a horrible singer.”

That only makes him sing louder, bellowing the words out of the open windows as they continue down the highway, and by the third chorus she is joining him, laughing as she sings along.

“Yeah!” he shouts, tapping harder on the wheel.

The song draws to a close and he smiles to himself, pleased that he could make her smile, if only for a few minutes. He is so caught up in the song, in the semblance of happiness he is feeling, that he doesn’t notice she has stopped laughing until he hears her sob.

“Hey, hey,” he murmurs, hand reaching out to clutch hers. “What’s wrong?” She shakes her head, looks away. “Ali, come on. What’s wrong?”

“Why did you ever love me, FP?” she cries, voice thick with tears. “I don’t know how anyone could.”

He did love her once, when those feelings were so new to him he didn’t fully understand what they were. And despite everything that has transpired between them, part of him loves her still. Even the knowledge of their child – a boy he will never meet, never know – and the secrets she kept from him aren’t enough to diminish his love for her. She was just a kid, scared out of her mind, and now she’s an adult, still terrified of what life is throwing her way.

FP is at a loss, has no idea how to comfort her with his words, so he settles for touch. They’ve always been tactile, better at showing their love than articulating it. He holds her hand tighter, squeezes her fingers, and lets her cry. He knows she needs it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

_It is the first official day of summer when Alice comes looking for him in the Wyrm, her Serpent jacket thrown over a floral dress and a determined look in her eye. Viper nudges him as she approaches but there is no need – he’s already seen her, already knows that she’s there._

_She takes three strides until she is in front of him, hands locking around his neck as she pulls him down for a kiss, and it reminds him of the first kissed they shared in this very bar._

_His eyebrows pinch together as she pulls back. “Ali, what are you–“_

_“I left him,” she says. “It’s over.” Her hand slides down to wrap around his, and tugs. “I’m going for a drive. Are you coming?”_

_He nods, follows, lets her lead him out of the bar and into her father’s truck because really, what else was he going to do?_

 

 

_The summer of ’92 is one FP will never forget. Even when he is middle-aged and married, he knows he will think of this – of her – and remember it all so clearly; the way the sun made her bleached hair even lighter, almost translucent in the light, and that she liked to buy popsicles from the 7-Eleven that made her mouth taste like cherries, and how she would slip his hand beneath her dresses and encourage him to touch her, make her sigh and moan beneath him._

_She slots herself into his life, embedding herself there until he can’t imagine it without her. She becomes friends with his friends, arranging double-dates with Fred and his new chick, Mary, spends afternoons in the Andrews garage watching him and Fred practice, and encourages them all to do spontaneous things, like skinny-dipping in the lake when they go out at night_

_His days are better when she’s there and his nights are spent wrapped around her, inside of her, tasting her. He is addicted to her and he has never felt this way about another person. He thinks these feelings should scare him, should make him want to run away, but he is too focused on just being with her to think about what these emotions mean._

 

 

_They lie together in the bed of her dad’s truck, her head on his chest, Sweetwater river flowing beside them as they rest beneath the setting sun. It is warm, too warm for them to be pressed so close, but he doesn’t mind. He wants her next to him, as close as she can get._

_She turns over to look at him, hands resting on his chest as she smiles._

_“Your hairs too long,” she says, reaching up to brush it out of his eyes. “It’s always covering your face.”_

_He shrugs. “Maybe I like it that way.”_

_“Well I want to see you,” she argues, fingertips now brushing across his neck. “I’ll cut it for you,” she promises._

_“Okay,” he agrees, because she can do whatever she wants as long as she sticks around._

_She smiles, pleased by his easy agreement, and reaches up to kiss him. FP melts into her, his hands sweeping across her back and hooking around her waist to draw her closer._

_“I love you,” he murmurs against her lips, the words escaping him before he has time to think about what he’s saying._

_She tenses up beneath him, her hands falling from his face, slack._

_“Shit,” he curses, sitting up quickly as she pulls away from him. “Just forget I said anything. I didn’t mean it–“_

_“It’s okay,” she says softly, offering him a small smile. “You were just caught up in the moment, right?”_

_He nods. “Right,” he agrees, but maybe that’s not true, not really. He does love her, he thinks. The way he feels about her, it had to be love._

_“Hey, stop thinking so hard,” she whispers, and then she is kissing him, crawling into his lap and twining herself around him._

_She is distracting him, he knows, trying to move past his confession. And it works for the most part – he is so caught up in making her feel good that he forgets about her reaction – but when he is moving inside of her, so close that he has to grit his teeth to hold off, he has to force himself not to say the words again. Instead, he settles for whispering them against her hair, so soft that she can’t hear him._

 

 

 

 

 

 

Their second motel in North Carolina isn’t as nice as the one in D.C., the rooms older and cheaper. They grab dinner in a restaurant close-by and return to their respective rooms after quiet ‘goodnights’.

FP lies back in his bed, hands folded behind his head, and as he stares up at the ceiling his mind wanders, thoughts returning again and again to the woman next door. He will never understand the hold she has on him – even after all this time – and he feels like he’s spent so much of his life trying to figure it out. Some things were unknowable, they just simply were, and it was about time he accepted that.

He sighs, counts to ten, and rises from the bed. He walks over to the door, the cheap carpet scratchy beneath his feet, and opens the door before he can have any second thoughts.

He pauses, frowns. “Ali?”

Bare-faced and dressed in pajamas, she smiles sheepishly, hand curled into a fist as if she was just about to knock.

“Hey. Can I come in?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

_At the sound of the first ring, FP jumps up from the couch and picks up the phone. His eyes flicker over to his father who is still, thankfully, passed out on the couch._

_He lifts the receiver to his ear and says quietly, “Hello?”_

_“FP?”_

_He frowns. “Ali?”_

_“Yeah, it’s me,” she replies. “So... I need you to come get me.”_

_“What? Ali – Where_ are _you?”_

_“Jail.”_

_He exhales, pinches the bridge of his nose. “Do I even wanna know?”_

_“Probably not,” she says, nonchalant. “My mom paid my bail but she won’t come get me, so could you_ please _come pick me up.”_

 _He bites the inside of his cheek, contemplating. He should say no. He_ knows _he should say no. But Serpents never abandon their own._

_“Okay.”_

_When she leaves the station she is smirking, cocky, and talking to the Sheriff who is frowning deeply. He can only imagine what she’s saying to him, trying to get a rise out of him._

_“I don’t want to see you here again, Miss Smith,” the Sheriff tells her. “Do you hear me?”_

_She salutes him, face serious, “Loud and clear, Sherriff,” and bursts out laughing when he walks back inside._

_“What the fuck is wrong with you?” FP mutters as they walk back to his car._

_“Oh, come on, FP. Don’t be like that.”_

_“Like what?” he retorts. “Pissed that I’ve had to come pick you up? My dad was home when you called. He could have woken up.”_

_Alice grimaces. “Shit, sorry. I didn’t think.”_

_“Yeah,” FP mutters and slides into his truck._

_The drive to Sunnyside doesn’t take long so FP gets his questions in quickly._

_“Are you gonna tell me what you did?”_

_She turns to look out of the window, arms folded. “No.”_

_“I came to pick you up. You owe me.”_

_“Fine,” she snaps, but doesn’t turn to look at him. “I punched Hermione.”_

_“You_ what _?!” he yells. “Jesus, Ali. She’s dating Hiram, for Christ’s sake. He’ll pay for a lawyer–“_

_“I know, okay?” she shouts back. “I know. I just… I couldn’t listen to her any longer.”_

_“What do you mean? What was she saying?”_

_“She was talking shit,” she answers, voice lower. “About you and Fred.”_

_His brow furrows. “Me and Fred?”_

_“We were at Clifford Blossom’s party and I heard her telling all of her new cheerleader friends that she was so much happier now that she’s dumped the ‘Andrews loser’,” she says, raising her fingers in air quotes. “And then she was telling them about how awful it was to hang out with Fred and all of his ‘Southside scumbag’ friends, and I just– I lost it, and– Fuck, FP. I hope that bitch has a scar. I don’t care!”_

_FP’s jaw tightens but he doesn’t saying anything. Nothing she was saying surprised him. When people move up in the world they like to shit on the people they leave behind, and Hermione was no different._

_“Why do you even care what she says about us?”_

_She shrugs. “She had no right. And she needs to remember where she came from.”_

_“Oh, yeah?” He barks out a laugh. “And what about you? You think your dickhead boyfriend hasn’t said the same shit about us?”_

_He looks over at her and sees the harsh line of her mouth. She turns away again._

_“Whatever.”_

_They spend the rest of the journey in silence and when they pull up outside of her trailer, he waits quietly for her to leave._

_“Are you going in?” he asks after minutes have passed._

_Their eyes meet and Alice seems to take a moment of decision before she is leaning forward and pressing her lips to his. FP freezes up, shocked by the sudden move, but then she is climbing into his lap and wrapping her hands around his neck, and FP can’t do anything but kiss her back._

_“Wait, wait,” he mutters against her lips, gaining some sense and pushing her away. “We can’t do this. You’re with Cooper.”_

_She smiles, and it’s cruel, her eyes filled with mirth. “FP,” she sighs, condescending. “We both know I don’t belong with him. You said it yourself – although you were a real dick about it.” She smiles. “I’m a Southsider, through and through. Hal and I don’t make sense. But you and me…” she says, voice trailing off._

_She brushes her lips across his, tongue darting out to taste, and he groans._

_“No, Ali,” he says firmly, pushing her back. “We’re not doing this.”_

_Her eyes narrow, her body tensing as she sits back, still on his lap._

_“Seriously? Christ, FP. Grow some fucking balls.”_

_She climbs off of him and is out of the car before he blink, slamming the door shut behind her with such force that the truck shakes._

_He drops his head back against the headrest and sighs. She’d be the death of him. He was sure of it._

 

 

 

 

 

 

“We shouldn’t do this,” she says between kisses, her hands on his waist as he backs her towards the bed. “You know we shouldn’t.”

“It’s one night,” he argues, and pushes her back until she is lying against the motel sheets. He crawls over her, bracing himself above her as his hand skims along her waist and beneath her shirt. “One last night and we’ll never do this again. We’ll finally let each other go.”

Alice stares up at him, eyes flickering between his. She licks her lips, hands clutching him tightly.

“Okay,” she murmurs. “One last night.”

 

 

 

 

 

_He does love Gladys. Really, he does. She is beautiful and sweet, and too good to be living in their trailer park. She is meant for better things. And he doesn’t mind that sometimes she feels blue, that some days she can’t get out of bed because she is too sad. When you love someone you accept the good and the bad, and God knows that she has to accept plenty of bad in him._

_She loves him, too. It is so obvious – in her actions and her gaze – that he knows before she even says the words. He says them back, wants her to know how he feels, even when part of him feels like this is wrong, that she isn’t the first girl he should be professing his love to._

_And despite knowing all of this, despite feeling that love deep in his bones, he lets Alice climb into his window night after night. Every time she and Hal have a fight she comes to his trailer and knocks on his window, and he never once turns her away. Instead, he lets her climb inside and then into his bed, her lips chilled by the night air as they press against his._

_In the morning she is gone, and when he sees her at school it is as if never happened. She is still with Hal, the drama is over, and he returns to Gladys. He greets her at her locker and kisses her cheek, and pretends not to see Alice as she walks by, fingers linked through Hal’s. And Gladys smiles up at him sweetly, completely oblivious and completely in love._

_He really was a piece of shit._

 

_Hermione leaves Fred for Hiram and his best friend is devastated._

_“I just don’t understand,” he says, slumped in a booth at Pop’s. “I thought we were happy. I thought she loved me.”_

_“I don’t know, man. But Hiram is an asshole and that makes Hermione an idiot,” he replies. He never liked Hermione and now he likes her even less. “You shouldn’t be heartbroken over a girl who chooses money and popularity over a genuinely good guy.”_

_Fred shrugs. “Well that’s easier said than done.”_

_FP goes home that evening and thinks about the forlorn look on Fred’s face, his red-rimmed eyes. He was taking it hard, the loss of Hermione a real blow, and FP can’t help but wonder if he would be this cut up over Gladys. Would their break-up hurt him this much?_

_He thinks it would._

_That night, when Alice taps against his window and hoists herself inside, FP turns away from her kiss._

_“What the–“_

_“I can’t do this,” he murmurs, eyes on the floor. “Not anymore.”_

_There is a moment of silence before she says, “Is this because of Gladys?” He says nothing but it is answer enough. “Whatever,” she mutters. “I’ll see you around.”_

_He looks up as she climbs back out, blonde hair spilling over her leather jacket as she slips out of his window. He falls back on his bed and sighs heavily. Whatever there was between them was over now. Finally._

 

 

_“Hey, babe.” He smiles as he approaches Gladys from behind and wraps his arms around her waist. “Miss me?”_

_She shoves him away and spins around, her blue eyes glassy with unshed tears._

_“How could you?” she cries. “You know how I feel about you!"_

_His mouth goes dry. “Gladys, what are you–“_

_“Don’t lie to me,” she snaps, eyes blazing. “The least you can do is be honest with me.”_

_He is silent, eyes falling in shame._

_“Stay away from me, FP. And tell Alice to stay away from me, too.” She slams her locker shut. “You two deserve each other.”_

_He can hear the tap of her shoes as she walks away, and FP tips his head back against the locker, defeated. He scrubs his hand across his face and pointedly ignores the people staring at him._

_He looks out across the hallway and spots her immediately, bright blonde hair so visible. She is leaning up against her own locker, smiling as she talks to Mantle’s girlfriend, and it is the sight of her smile – wide and red – that has his anger peaking, coursing through his veins._ _He pushes off from the wall and stalks towards her, hands clenched into fists as his side. As soon as he is close enough, he slams his hand against the locker beside her head, watches her flinch at the noise and leans in close._

_“FP, what the fu–“_

_“You’re a bitch,” he hisses, all malice. “She is so goddamn sweet, would never hurt anybody, but you just couldn’t stand it that someone wanted her more than you.”_

_Her eyes are as hard as steel as she makes eye contact._

_“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she replies, voice hard._

_“Save it,” he snaps. “You can walk around here pretending you’re a Northsider, that you fit in with Cooper and his cronies, but we both know that_ this _– this_ spite _– comes straight from the Southside.” His lip curls in disgust. “You’re trash, just like the rest of us. And all of your new friends? They know it, too.”_

_He walks away before she can yell at him, fight back, but he feels only a glimmer of satisfaction. He had won this battle but she had won the war. He would be lucky if Gladys ever spoke to him again._

 

 

 

 

 

 

She can see Jughead’s foot tapping as they wait for someone to answer the door. Only seconds pass but he reaches up to knock again, impatient.

“What if she’s not home?” he asks. “We can’t wait here all day.”

Betty rubs her hand along his back, trying to comfort him. “It’s okay, Jug. We can come back later.”

He nods but his foot begins to tap quicker. She leans over to knock this time and suddenly, behind the door, they hear movement.

“Mom!” they hear from the other side, a child’s voice. Jughead’s breath catches. “There’s somebody at the door!”

“I’m coming!”

Betty catches Jughead’s hand in hers and he squeezes so tightly his fingers turn white. She holds her breath as they wait, listens to the click of the door being unlocked, and then she is there. Gladys Jones, looking exactly as she had the last time she saw her, her blue eyes wide with shock.

“Jug?”

He smiles weakly. “Hey, mom.”

Gladys’s body is tense, frozen, as she asks, “What are you doing here?”

Jughead opens his mouth to answer but is interrupted by an excited yell.

“Juggie?!”

A grin Betty has never seen before spreads across his face, a smile borne of pure elation.

“Hey, Jellybean.”

The dark-haired child runs at him, her pigtails flying behind her as she throws herself into his arms. He crouches down and holds out his arms, wrapping them tight around her when she is close enough, his nose immediately pressed to her hair as he inhales deeply.

“I’ve missed you, so much,” he murmurs, reverent, and tears prick at Betty’s eyes.

She looks up at Gladys and her eyes are fixed on her children, tears in her eyes as she witnesses their reunion.

“I’ve missed you, too,” Jellybean replies and Betty is crying, too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

_Fred and Hermione start fighting, all the time, and his best friend becomes a sad shell of himself. He is always pissed off, his irritation towards his girlfriend filtering into the rest of his life, and FP doesn’t like it one bit. He always knew Hermione was bad for him._

_“I think she’s cheating on me,” he confesses one afternoon as they smoke up in his garage._

_FP says nothing. He doesn’t want to offend Fred by telling him how he really feels about Hermione, and he had his own shit to deal with. Fred wasn’t the only one in a messy relationship._

_“You’re going_ again _?” Alice asks, annoyed. “That’s the third night this week, FP! I feel like I never see you.”_

_“It’s just a busy week,” FP argues. “Don’t be a drama queen.”_

_“I’m being a drama queen because I want to spend time with my boyfriend?” she snaps._

_“What is your problem, Ali?” he asks, frustrated. “You knew I was running with the Serpents when we met, so why is this such an issue for you now?”_

_“It’s taking over your whole life!” she yells back. “Everything revolves around that fucking gang.”_

_“Hey!” He points his finger at her. “You wear their brand. You’re part of the gang, too. Don’t forget that, princess.”_

_Her eyes narrow in response, mouth set in a firm line, and FP braces himself for her next words._

_“If this is how it’s gonna be, I can go find someone who actually wants to be with me.”_

_He glares. “What the fuck does that mean?”_

_“It means_ some guys _actually want to be around me!”_

_“And who are those guys?” he asks through gritted teeth._

_“Hal Cooper.”_

_FP laughs, shakes his head. “That preppy asshole? You don’t want a guy like him.”_

_“Why not?” she says, hands on her hips. “He’s nice to me, says he wants to take me out to dinner.”_

_“So go!” FP snaps. “Go with him. I don’t care anymore.”_

_“Fine,” she hits back. “I will.”_

_FP’s jaw locks as he watches her leave. He doesn’t chase after her – she was testing him, that was all. She’d come back the next day, calm and rational, and realize how stupid she’s being._

 

_Alice doesn’t come back the next day, or the day after that. She doesn’t talk to him all week, avoiding him at school and never coming to the Wyrm. FP isn’t too worried – they were in a fight and like he said, she was a drama queen – but he still spends that week tense and moody, snapping at anyone that annoys him._

_On Saturday, after dropping off a shipment in Jersey, he and some of the other Serpents head to Pop’s for some grub. They sit outside on their bikes, eating burgers and smoking, and watching some of the kids from school pass by, on their way to dinner or a date._

_“Hey, FP!” He looks up, eyebrows raised expectantly. Fogarty nods his head towards the diner. “Isn’t that your girl?”_

_FP turns to see Alice walking towards the diner, all dressed up in tight black dress, and Hal Cooper by her side. She looks over, catches his eye, and smirks._

_“Whatever,” FP mutters, turning away. This was just another test. She was trying to push buttons. Nothing was going to happen between her and_ Hal Cooper _._

 

 

_When he gets home, his smashes his fist into his bedroom wall._

 

_They don’t speak for two weeks and it feels like a break-up without actually saying the words. FP is more angry than sad, the emotion more familiar to him, easier for him to process._

_One afternoon, between his final classes of the day, he slips outside to smoke a cigarette out of view of the teachers. He is rounding the corner, lighter and cigarette in hand, when he sees them – Alice and Hal, pressed up against the school building, kissing._

_“Fucking unbelievable.”_

_They jump apart at the sound of his voice and Alice’s eyes widen as soon as she sees him. Shame flickers across her face, her features falling, and that gives him some satisfaction. He didn’t think Alice was capable of feeling bad about anything she did._

_“FP–“ she starts but he shakes his head._

_“Save it, Ali. I’m fucking done.”_

 

_A week later, FP asks Gladys out on a date, in the hallway, in front of any of his classmates who happen to pass by. She accepts easily with a pretty smile._

_It is only a couple of hours before Alice hears the news, cornering him outside of one of his classes and shoving him in the chest._

_“Gladys, FP? Really? I thought you were better than that,” she sneers. “You shouldn’t use her to make me jealous.”_

_“Get over yourself,” he says, checking her with his shoulder as he pushes past her. “Jealous doesn’t look good on you, Ali,” he calls over his shoulder as he walks away._

 

 _By the end of the month, Gladys is officially his girlfriend, tucking herself under his arm as they walk through the halls and kissing him every chance she gets._ _He sees Alice watching them and tells himself that the satisfaction he feels is from the love of a sweet girl and not the jealousy of another._

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jughead’s eyes flicker over the living room again, a soft smile on his face as he watches his sister and his girlfriend interact. Jellybean is currently showing Betty a selection of her favorite band t-shirts, mostly hand-me-downs from their parents and still too big for her to fit into. Betty inspects each one with genuine interest even though he knows she doesn’t know or like any of the bands.

“She’s a sweet girl,” his mother comments. “It’s hard to believe she’s Alice Cooper’s daughter.”

“Yeah,” Jughead agrees. “Alice is… kinda scary. But Betty’s amazing.”

“You love her, don’t you?” Gladys asks.

Jughead smiles. “Yeah. I do.”

“Why are you here, Jughead?”

He looks over at his mom and realizes he has no idea how to answer her question. He’d been expecting it – of course she’d want to know why he turned up to her home unannounced – but he still didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t tell her the truth, couldn’t reveal all of the awful, dangerous situations he’d gotten himself into.

“It’s… It’s complicated. And I don’t think I should tell you,” he answers, voice low. “Just believe me when I say that I needed to get out of Riverdale. I needed to get away.” He half-smiles but there is no happiness there. “You understand that, right?”

Gladys’s face softens, eyes suddenly glassy. “You really can’t tell me?”

“No.”

She blows out a heavy breath. “Okay, well, I won’t ask any more questions. But if you think you’re in danger you need to tell me, alright?”

He nods. “I will.”

She reaches out to cup his cheek, her thumb stroking across the apple. “It’s so good to see you, baby.”

He covers her hand with his own and smiles, eyes fluttering closed at the contact.

There is a knock at the door, pulling them from the moment, and Jughead’s eyes dart over to Betty’s. Hers are wide with worry and he swallows thickly.

“Another mystery guest,” Gladys mutters, walking over to the door.

He follows close behind, heart racing as he imagines seeing Penny on the other side, and Betty comes up behind him. His hand reaches into his pocket, curls around the pocket knife inside, as his mother opens the door.

His eyes widen. “ _Dad?_ ”

“FP!” Gladys says, shocked. “What are you doing here?”

“Hey, Gladys,” he says, smiling weakly. “I came to see Jug. Figured he’d come here.”

Someone steps out from behind him and Betty gasps.

“Mom?!” Betty exclaims.

Alice’s smile is tight. “Hi, Betty.” Her eyes slide over to his mother and she nods. “Gladys. It’s been a while.”

They all stand in silence, everyone unsure as to who should speak first. The tension is, thankfully, broken by Jellybean, who upon seeing her father screams in delight.

“Daddy!” she yells, running at him full force - much like she had when she saw her brother - and leaping into her father’s arms.

FP catches her easily, grinning as he lifts her up against his body.

“Hey, kid,” he murmurs. “I’ve missed ya.”

 

 

 

 

 

 _“I know he’s secretive and always working for the Serpents, and he’s kind of moody, but he’s just...” Gladys sighs, smile dreamy. “He’s so_ handsome _. And actually really sweet, once you get to know him.”_

 _Alice’s smile is tight. “Right. FP Jones is_ sweet _.”_

_Gladys shakes her head. “Whatever. I know I’m right. When he gave me a ride home last week and it was just the two of us, he was totally different.”_

_Alice crosses her arms and chews on the inside of her lip, poorly masking her irritation. “I’ll take your word for it.”_

 

 

 

 

 

Locked inside his truck, away from the eyes and ears of the girls, FP has an honest conversation with his son.

“You need to come home, boy.”

Jughead shakes his head, head bowed. “I can’t, dad.”

FP sighs. “This, here, with your mom – it isn’t going to work,” he tells him, straight to the point. “Your mom… she can’t handle it.”

Jughead frowns. “What do you mean? Why not?”

“She’s got… issues, Jug,” he says, trying to be careful. “She isn’t always in the best frame of mind. And your sister – she’s easy, agreeable. But you – you’re a different story. You’re a good kid,” he assures him, because he is, he really is. “But you’re caught up in some shit, and she won’t be able to help you through it.”

Jughead says nothing, whole body slumped in his seat.

"I’m not trying to hurt you,” FP says softly. “I’m just trying to be honest. And… I want to fix this, Jug. I don’t want you to run away from your problems. It’s no way to live your life.”

Jughead sniffles, a tear falling down his cheek. “I don’t know what I’m doing, dad,” he mumbles. “I don’t know _how_ to fix this.”

FP sighs and cups his palm around the back of his head, pulling him closer until his face is buried in his shoulder.

“I can handle Penny,” he promises.

Jughead frowns. "But-"

" _I'll handle her_ ," FP repeats, voice firm. “And all of the other shit – we’ll figure it out together.”

“But what if I mess it all up again?” Jughead cries. “All I wanted was to be like you, to be closer to you when I thought I might not see you again, and look at where it’s got me. I’ve hurt so many people, and Betty… God, she just found out her father is a murderer and she still followed me, left everything behind for _me_.”

“She loves you, kid,” FP murmurs.

They lapse until silence until Jughead straightens up, wiping furiously at his face.

“It’s gonna be okay,” FP says resolutely, cupping Jughead’s face until he looks at him. “Do you hear me?”

He nods. “I hear you.”

“Good.” He grips his shoulder, squeezes. “You’re too sweet to be like me, too good. Don’t ever try to be like me, Jug. You’re better than that.” He half-smiles. “Now let’s go get your girl and get some dinner, huh? Maybe your mom and JB will come along, too. Okay?”

Jughead nods, one corner of his mouth twitching into a smile. “Okay.”

 

 

 

 

 

_FP groans beneath her, hips bucking up as she sucks at his neck._

_“Shit, Ali. What are you doing?”_

_She smiles against his skin. “Marking you.”_

_“Thought you wanted to keep this thing a secret.”_

_She sits up, still straddling him, and flips her long hair back from her face. “I do,” she agrees. “But I still get a little possessive.”_

_He laughs, hands sliding along her thighs. “Over what? You’ve got nothing to be jealous about, baby.”_

_She rolls her eyes. “I know that, but… Gladys likes you,” she confesses. “And I don’t like hearing her talk about you.”_

_FP frowns. “_ Gladys _likes me?”_

_“Yeah.”_

_“Is that why wanted to keep this a secret?”_

_She shrugs, looks away as she admits, “I guess so. It’s just… she thinks we just flirt with each other. She has no idea there’s more than that. And I don’t want to hurt her, so she can’t find out.”_

_FP is quiet and when she looks at him again, he is smiling up at her._

_“What?” she snaps. “Why are you looking at me like that?”_

_“It’s weird hearing you talk like this,” he says, amused. “Guess you’re not such a bitch after all.”_

_“If I wasn’t a bitch, I’d end this,” she argue, and leans down to capture his lips with hers._

_She didn’t want to hurt Gladys but she didn’t want to give him up either._

_No one is sure how Southside High actually burned down but FP is pretty certain Alice had something to do with it. He asks her about it one day and she insists she knows nothing, but he catches the look she shares with Penny and he knows she isn’t telling him the truth. He doesn’t press her – what is done is done – but he doesn’t know why she’s lying._

_Alice is wild, he knows this. But she’s beautiful too – confident and bold, and never willing to back down. He expects the craziness from her - even something as nuts as burning down a high school - and surely she knows that he wouldn’t judge her for it. They’ve all done some dumb shit._

_It takes two weeks for the transfer to be organized, and halfway into their Sophomore year, all of the Southside High students move into Riverdale High._

_For the most part, it is okay. If the Northside kids are unhappy about it, most of them are too scared to say, and it helps that FP already knows someone here. Fred Andrews had been his best friend in elementary and he welcomed him with open arms._

_“It’s been a while, Jones,” he says, slapping him on the back._

_FP grins, nods. “Too long.”_

_“This is my girlfriend, Hermione,” Fred says, sliding his arm around the brunette’s waist._

_She smiles at him but it looks forced, unnatural. “Nice to meet you.”_

_“Likewise.”_

_His first day is inconsequential. He keeps his head down, goes to all of his classes, and tries to keep Viper and the other guys from making any trouble. They could have a good thing here on the Northside. It was a hell of a lot better than their old school and the teachers actually seemed to give a shit._

_His second day isn’t so easy. It starts with an overheard conversation, one that makes him grit his teeth and clench his fists._

_“That blonde chick, Alice – she’s a freak,” Ricky Mantle says, much to the amusement of his football buddies. “I heard she once sucked three guys off in one night.”_

_FP wants nothing more than to punch Ricky in his pretty, smug face, but he knows he shouldn’t. Alice wants to keep them a secret and punching people to defend her honor wasn’t going to help. He also wasn’t stupid enough to hit a rich kid; he didn’t stand a chance against them and their parent’s money._

_He shakes it off, trying to put it to the back of his mind for the rest of the day, and he mostly succeeds, his desire to smash his fist into something completely disappearing by lunch time. But as he’s leaving his class he sees Alice in the hallway, leaning up against her locker. And she’s not alone._

_He doesn’t know the guy’s name but he’s seen him around and he knows he’s one of Mantle’s rich friends. He’s blond and preppy, and an asshole, no doubt. He watches them as he approaches, looking for any signs that Alice is uncomfortable. If he was being a dick, FP may not be able to hold himself back._

_He keeps his eyes on them, watching as the guy leans down to whisper in Alice’s ear. He tenses up, ready for a reaction, for Alice to yell at him or slap him or cause a scene, but none of those things happen. Instead, a slow smile spreads across her face, flirty and sweet, and FP’s stomach flips._

_He didn’t like that smile one bit._

 

 

 

 

 

They sit on the steps leading up to Gladys’s home, eyes focused on the Jones men locked inside the truck.

“Is FP going to make him go home?”

“I think so.”

“But what about Penny?” Betty asks, voice filled with worry. “It’s not safe for him in Riverdale.”

“FP is handling it.”

Betty frowns. “What?”

“Don’t ask, Betty,” Alice murmurs. “Sometimes you’re better off not knowing.”

Betty takes her advice and doesn’t pry any further, but her thoughts automatically turn to the possibilities of that statement. She knew FP was capable of a lot of things – he had covered up two dead bodies, that she knew of – but she didn’t know if he was willing to do something even worse. Even if he was doing it to protect Jughead.

“Things are going to change,” Alice says. “They’re going to get better.”

Betty turns to her mother. “What do you mean?”

“We’re going to take our lives back,” she replies. “We’ve… _I’ve_ spent too long focusing on the wrong things and after…” She takes a shaky breath. “After what happened with your father and Chic, I need to take some control back. We’re going to move past it and become stronger than ever.”

“But how are we going to do that?” Betty asks quietly. “Everything is so… _broken_ , right now.”

“We’re going to do it together – all of us,” she says firmly. “We’re going to bring Polly home, and the babies, and we’re going to start again. We’ll be a new family, the five of us.”

Betty nods, smiles. “Okay. That sounds good. It’ll be nice to have Polly home.”

“She may not want to stay,” Alice points out. “But she needs to be with us now. She shouldn’t be dealing with everything alone.”

They grow quiet, Betty still watching the truck, but her attention is pulled away when she hears her mother sniffling beside her.

“Mom?” She wraps her arm her shoulder. “Mom, what is it?”

“I’m so sorry, Betty,” she cries, leaning into her. “You’ve been so strong through everything these past few months. You’ve been trying to keep our family together and it’s not fair.”

“You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself,” Betty murmurs, pulling her closer. “You’ve been dealing with all of this, too.”

“No, no.” Alice shakes her head. “I’m your _mother_ , Betty, and I need to act like it. I need to take care of this family.” She reaches out to take Betty’s hand in hers and squeezes. “I love you, Elizabeth.”

Betty sighs and rests her head against hers. “I love you, too.”

 

 

 

 

 

_She can feel his eyes on her, across the bar. He is always watching her these days, his messy mop of hair always covering his dark eyes. His hair is too long but she likes it anyway. She likes everything about him – his voice, his strength, his smell._

_Tall Boy lifts the needle from her skin and whistles._

_“I think this is some of my best work.”_

_She looks down at her hip and inspects her new inking, the black lines of the snake a sharp contrast to her pale skin._

_She smiles, pleased. “I think so.”_

_Her eyes flicker up, meeting his, and he quickly looks away. She’s familiar with this game, the cat-and-mouse, him always pretending that he isn’t watching and her pretending she doesn’t care._

_She joins Penny and Gladys by the bar, jeans still open to show off her new brand._

_“So… What do you think?”_

_Gladys gasps. “You actually did it? You’re crazy!”_

_Penny barks out a laugh and bends down to get a closer look, her fingers brushing across the skin surrounding the tattoo._

_“Looks awesome.”_

_“Right?” Alice grins, tongue peeking out between her teeth._

_“Nice tatt, Smith.”_

_Alice looks up at the sound of his voice and watches him pass by, flanked by two of his fellow Serpents. His eyes are focused on her, or more specifically, her bare hip._

_She smirks. “In unity there is strength. Looks like I’m one of you now.”_

_“Not quite, princess,” one of his friends says. He nods towards the stage up front. “There’s one more thing you gotta do.”_

_Alice had heard about the Serpent dance, knows it is something she needs to do if she really wants to belong. She thought the whole thing was sexist and stupid, but she had committed now, she was all in, and she wasn’t about to let something as silly as a dance ruin all of this._

_“Don’t worry, Viper,” she smiles. “You’ll get your show.”_

_He grins lewdly, looks her up and down as some of the other men in the bar cheer and holler. Her eyes slide over to FP, expecting the same reaction. Instead, his mouth is twisted into a firm line, his jaw locked as he stares at her._

_She knew jealousy when she saw it and now she felt a new wave of determination._

_She raises her chin and spins on her heel, her walk to the stage chorused by the cheers of the men around her. She can hear Penny shouting her name somewhere but she can’t make out her face in the crowd when she is standing beneath the bar’s red lights. Suddenly, music begins to play and she pops open the first button on her sweater._

_“Goddamn,” Viper murmurs, eyes on the stage, transfixed. “Didn’t know Smith had it in her.”_

_Irritated, FP clasps his hand on Viper’s shoulder, his grip tight._

_“Don’t even think about,” he says, voice low but the threat clear. “She’s mine.”_

_Viper holds his hands up in surrender but doesn’t tear his eyes away._

_Alice sways the music, her button-up sweater now discarded on the stage and her black lacy bra visible to all of the hungry eyes in the bar. He tries to remain cool, leant up against the bar, but his foot taps insistently, the rhythm uneven. He is itching to get up there, to drag her off the stage, but if she wants to be one of them he needs to let her do this._

_Cheesy eighties rock continues to play and FP can feel his jealousy rising, his anger ready to boil over. Alice fingers slide into her belt loops, ready to slide her jeans down and he can’t take it anymore._

_“Alright, that’s enough!” he yells, marching up to the stage._

_The music continues but is now overshadowed by a chorus of ‘boos’ as he grabs Alice by the shoulders and turns her around, shielding her from view with his body._

_“What are you doing?” she demands. “I need to finish.”_

_“No, you don’t. You’ve proved your point. You’re one of us.” He reaches down to grab her sweater and pushes it into her chest. “Now put your clothes back on.”_

_She arches one eyebrow. “Didn’t think you were the jealous type, FP.”_

_He chuckles. “Don’t flatter yourself, sweetheart.”_

_That pisses her off, and as soon as her sweater is on, she is stomping off stage. He lets her leave, still too angry to follow after her._

_He reaches up for the carton of cigarettes tucked into his sleeve and pulls one out. He needed a smoke to calm him down and he needed to get out of the bar. He could feel the other guys looking at him, no doubt questioning his actions and wondering why he spoiled their fun. He drags his hand back through his hair, pulling it out of his eyes, and heads outside._

_The parking lot is, thankfully, empty. FP lights up and takes a long drag. He already feels better, glad to be out of the weird atmosphere inside._

_“Why are you out here all alone?”_

_FP’s head snaps over at the sound of her voice. Alice’s red lips tilt up into a smile as she comes to stand in front of him, hands tucked into her back pockets._

_“Couldn’t think straight in there.”_

_“Right,” she nods. “Well, I just had an interesting talk with Viper.”_

_He keeps his eyes on the ground, kicks at a rock. “Oh, yeah?”_

_“He said you laid claim on me.”_

_He looks up at her, one corner of his mouth curving up. Her smile is coy, feigning innocence._

_“Don’t act like you didn’t want me to.”_

_She shakes her head but she is smiling. “God, you’re cocky.”_

_He squints, smile lazy. “You love it.”_

_“Maybe,” she replies, stepping closer until her body is pressed to his. “But let’s get one thing straight, Jones. I don’t belong to_ anyone _.”_

 

 

 

 

 

 

They decide to drive to a hotel for the night and return to Gladys’s home in the morning. There were still things that needed to be discussed and FP wanted to see his daughter again before they returned to Riverdale.

In the backseat, Betty and Jughead sleep more peacefully than they have in days, Jughead’s arm wrapped around her as she curls against his side. Alice watches them, a small smile on her lips. It is like staring at her past, two teenagers with so much on their shoulders and only finding solace in each other. They only difference was they were a unit, with each other no matter what, and they were allowing themselves to be happy.

She turns back into her seat, eyes flickering over to FP.

“Did they do it?”

FP’s tightens his grip on the steering wheel as he replies, “Yeah. She’s gone.”

Alice nods but says no more. She knows he doesn’t want to talk about it. He blames himself. If he had never helped Clifford Blossom, if he hadn’t landed himself in prison and left his son alone, Jughead never would have been in this mess. But what is done, is done. The past cannot be changed. She knows that more than anyone.

“How did we end up here?” she muses, turning her head against the headrest to look at him. “Do you remember that first night? At the Whyte Wyrm?”

The corner of his mouth ticks up. Not quite a smile, but almost.

“I remember.”

“It wasn’t love at first sight, but definitely lust,” she says, and he laughs softly. “I’d never seen anyone so cocky, so handsome. I knew I had to have you.”

“Is that so?” He laughs and shakes his head. “You were trouble. I knew that. But there was still no way I could have ever said no.” His eyes slide over to her. “I’ve never been able to say no to you.”

Alice smiles, nostalgic, but slowly it falls.

“We have to let them have this, don't we?”

He looks over his shoulder to their children, wrapped around one another, sound asleep and deeply in love. He sighs and nods.

“Yeah. We do.”

Alice turns to look out of the window, tears springing to her eyes as she watches the fields pass by. It is dark outside and in the window she can see her reflection, so exhausted by all she has endured.

“Hey, Al?” She turns back to him but he is still staring straight ahead. “I’m always gonna love ya. You know that, right?”

A sad smile turns down her lips. “I’m always gonna love you, too.”

He reaches out, threading their fingers together. She squeezes his hand, her grip tight. He lifts their joined hands to his lips and brushes a kiss across her knuckles, eyes still focused ahead.

She looks out to the window, to the road stretching out in front of them, and smiles.

It was over now. Truly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

_He had seen her around Sunnyside – bleached-blonde hair frazzled at the ends and lips always stained red. She was new, had moved into the park from Greendale. He didn’t even know her name. But just looking at her, he knew – she was bad news. And he’d be lying if he said she didn’t intrigue him._

_She had never been in the Whyte Wyrm before. Chicks his age didn’t usually come in here, too intimidated by the older Serpents or scared away by their mothers. She didn’t look scared at all, leaning back against the wall in her cut-off shirt, curly hair a wild mane around her face. Penny and Gladys flank her sides, clutching their drinks as their eyes dart around, but she doesn't look phased. Her arms are folded across her chest, a smirk on her lips and her eyes trained on him._

_“The new chick is watching you, man,” Viper says into his ear. “Fuck, she’s hot.” She pushes herself off the wall, saunters over to them, still focused on him. Viper nudges him with his elbow. “Shit, she’s coming over.”_

_FP straightens up, adjusts his jacket._

_“What’s up?” he asks as she stops in front of him._

_Her lips curl up at the corners, her hands tucked into the back pockets of her jeans._

_“Penny bet me twenty bucks that I couldn’t make out with FP Jones,” she says, direct, to-the-point, and FP can only blink at her. She smiles, mischievous,_ dangerous _. “I’m here to prove her wrong.”_

_His own lips tip up into a half-smile. “Oh, yeah? Well we can’t have you losing twenty bucks.”_

_She steps forward, her body now pressed against his, and reaches up to wrap her hands around his neck. She pulls him down, his face tilted towards hers, and where their lips are only a breath apart, she mumurs, “I wanna know if you’re as good as they say you are.”_

_Her kiss is dangerous, too – soft but determined, intoxicating. Her tongue sweeps into his mouth, the taste sweet but sharp, like cherry cola. His hands wrap around her hips, clutching tightly, pulling her closer to his body, and she melts against him. Or is he melting into her?_

_He feels dazed, dizzy, when she pulls away. Her lipstick is gone now, a stain around her mouth, and no doubt around his. Her big green eyes are sparkling as she smiles up at him._

_“So the rumors were true,” she says, voice low._

_She pulls away completely and walks back over to Gladys and Penny who are watching her with wide eyes and open mouths._

_“Hey!” he yells, and she turns, walks backwards as she raises her eyebrows expectantly. “What’s your name?”_

_She smiles. “Alice. Alice Smith.”_

_Penny is holding out a twenty-dollar bill that Alice plucks from her fingers and smoothly slides into her back pocket. FP watches the exchange, still smiling, totally transfixed._

_“Alice,” he murmurs to himself, liking the way her name felt on his lips._

 


End file.
